2006 and 2007 Yamaha Grizzly owners - please read

[Fisher-Dude]

Just thought I'd post this up, as I heard of two separate instances of drive shafts breaking on these quads today. One buddy tells me of a riding partner this weekend who was getting stuck on a 2006 trying to drive over some logs, and when they noticed only one rear wheel spinning, they found that one rear drive shaft had snapped. He called the guy he bought it from who the told him he had broken both rear shafts the first time he rode it with a big wheel kit. Our buddy just had stock wheels on it when this happened.

The second experience from a couple of weeks ago sucked bad, and is the real reason for this post. A coworker's BIL was riding down a logging road when a front drive shaft broke off at the hub, jammed and cartwheeled the quad. 9 broken ribs, broken collar bone, broken arm, etc. A nasty accident. Yamaha is saying something about some water pitting and weakening the aluminum at the hub??? WTF??? On a 2007???

Please guys, before you go on your hunting trips this year, check your buggies out for any signs of cracks or pitting on the drive shafts or hubs. All brands of quads should be checked for split CV boots. We don't want anyone having this happen to them! :frown:

[ryanb]

I hope your coworkers Brother in Law has retained a lawyer.

[OOBuck]

Go Polaris!!!

[wolverine]

Thanks for the info. Mine is a 2008 but I'll still check it over.

[Mik]

Thanks for the info, a buddy of mine just bought an '06 Grizz

[srupp]

hmmmm should have bought a HONDA//

on a more serious note hope every one on every ride is safe..

STEVEN

[guido]

Don't you mean axles???

[elkdom]

Not news to many whom depend on an ATV as a tool/machine for work, siesmic,servey crews and logging timber cruisers in Northern BC seem to lean towards Honda and Polaris where the demands are extreme on your ATV, not much fun walking 40 klms out of grizz country alone at night, with a broken set of ribs or worse!, bleeding from injuries and without a weapon! of coarse some folks love thier Yamaha and are completly satisfied!

[J_T]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/cid:10.1511370968@web36106.mail.mud.yahoo.com (http://nicedeb.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/dune-buggy.jpg)
I'm not much good at posting pictures...

http://nicedeb.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/dune-buggy.jpg

[Fisher-Dude]

Don't you mean axles???

Yeah, axles, or half-shafts. Axles is probably the better term. Thanx.

[Schmaus]

Haha don't even get me started on my broken down Polaris stories

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k187/schmauskris/n584109459_406435_7668.jpg

[MIL720]

Thanx for the heads up...

[FLHTCUI]

If its got ( * )( * ) or wheels, its bound to give you trouble sometime...
Ok having said that , I am glad to hear that no deaths reported on members of this board, but sounds like near death experieinces only.
As mentioned take the time to go over yor machine , what ever brand you are loyal to as it would certainly suck to ahve this happen to you and while trapped underneath (possibly ) have one of thos big wet noses come over and see if your alright !!!
I ride a Harley ( not bragging ) and I post on a couple of HD sites and you would be amazed at the number of people who claim that it is a manufature defect for every little thing that goes wrong with the bike. For the most part it is lack of maint. or they dont understand ,echanical machines and the responsibility of ownership of the vehicle.
So, please all you qaud riders out and about, take a couple of minutes a weel to inspect your ride.
Ride Safe and Shoot Straight !
Rob

[Spuddge]

We all tend to think that what we chose to buy is better than what someone else chose to buy, personally I like Yamaha and have had no problems with my 07 Grizzlies (nothing that wasn't my own fault anyways!:oops:). Most big name quads on the market are decent machines with good points and not so good points. The reality is quads are used HARD in the field and are prone to extraordinary wear and tear. I think most hunters are very hard on their quads especially when you have to drag a 1000 pound moose out of a cut or plow through dense brush to get your game out. Mud and water are particularily infamous for slowly wearing out parts like bearings or pitting axles and drive shafts. I agree with FLHTCUI that routine maintenance and inspection is the key to a safe quad or any vehicle for that matter. After market parts are another good way to beef up your quad. I think the skid plates on my Grizzlies suck, I've already lost one a-arm cover and peeled the front and rear plates back like a banana , I'll be replacing them with aluminum ones soon. Just my 2 cents worth.:smile:

[trailhunter]

There are three things in life that i love
1. Hunting
2. eating
3. quading

I bought my grizz 700 the first week they came out in 2006. I have over 5500 HARD kms on my bike (i cant believe im not dead). Ive ran 27inch XTR's and 14inch rims from new and i pound on this bike every weekend. Ive watch the grizzly 700's on numerous message boards from day one. I know this machine better than 90% of people that have them. They do have problems ( just like every other quad...............less than most how ever) Ive bent 3 A-arms, broke a front axle and im surprised thats it. All my damage has been do to driver error and not factory defects. This is the first time ive heard of an axle breaking at the hub on a grizz 700, on any quad for that matter. The drive axle has three components.....2 CV's ( look like mini toyota birfields) and a axle between the two. The stub shaft is connected to the CV which the you bolt the hub to. The stub shaft is what broke i'm guessing which is really odd seeing how its 2-3 time larger than the axle shaft.............The CV bell and the axle shaft are meant to be the week link if to much force is applied . There must be a factory defect in the stub shaft on this particular CV stub shaft. Or he took the hub off and didnt torque the nut down proper the the nut backed off which would have put to much pressure on the stub shaft (highly unlikely tho)

I did a search and this is the only case i could find with this problem. Boycotting a company because of this freak accident doent really make sense to me. If Yamaha sold 200,000 grizzly 700's in the last 2 years thats 799,999 stub shafts that didnt break (using that as an example).

I wish your friend a speedy recovery and yamaha goes good on his case.

[Slime green cat]

There are three things in life that i love
1. Hunting
2. eating
3. quading

I bought my grizz 700 the first week they came out in 2006. I have over 5500 HARD kms on my bike (i cant believe im not dead). Ive ran 27inch XTR's and 14inch rims from new and i pound on this bike every weekend. Ive watch the grizzly 700's on numerous message boards from day one. I know this machine better than 90% of people that have them. They do have problems ( just like every other quad...............less than most how ever) Ive bent 3 A-arms, broke a front axle and im surprised thats it. All my damage has been do to driver error and not factory defects. This is the first time ive heard of an axle breaking at the hub on a grizz 700, on any quad for that matter. The drive axle has three components.....2 CV's ( look like mini toyota birfields) and a axle between the two. The stub shaft is connected to the CV which the you bolt the hub to. The stub shaft is what broke i'm guessing which is really odd seeing how its 2-3 time larger than the axle shaft.............The CV bell and the axle shaft are meant to be the week link if to much force is applied . There must be a factory defect in the stub shaft on this particular CV stub shaft. Or he took the hub off and didnt torque the nut down proper the the nut backed off which would have put to much pressure on the stub shaft (highly unlikely tho)

I did a search and this is the only case i could find with this problem. Boycotting a company because of this freak accident doent really make sense to me. If Yamaha sold 200,000 grizzly 700's in the last 2 years thats 799,999 stub shafts that didnt break (using that as an example).

I wish your friend a speedy recovery and yamaha goes good on his case.

Thanks for posting exactly what I was thinking but was too lazy to type when I first read through this thread yesterday .
The "Stick with Honda or Polaris) comment really made me laugh :-o .... those are the only 2 brands I would never ever own, I would rather walk .
Yamaha makes a damn fine machine .... the best imo, although Suzuki is right up there too .

Tell your friend to keep his Grizz, this was a one in a million breakage ... unfortunate for his sake, but these things happen I guess .

[Spitzer]

Yamaha makes a damn fine machine .... the best imo, although Suzuki is right up there too .


I like my Suzuki Kingquad 750 AXi, I think it's better than the Griz! :razz:

[BCrams]

All this talk about brands of quads ......

Anyone use the Can am Outlanders?

[srupp]

Yes Greg I TOWED one out this spring...that was pretty well toast..HOWEVER he did get his $$$ worth as it was his 4th trip..:eek: with his fancy machine..

HONDA ...bullet proof tough...:mrgreen:

Steven

[BCrams]

Yes Greg I TOWED one out this spring...that was pretty well toast..HOWEVER he did get his $$$ worth as it was his 4th trip..:eek: with his fancy machine..

HONDA ...bullet proof tough...:mrgreen:

Steven

I've towed quite a few honda's in my day so far too while working......

hmmm

[srupp]

hmmm never seen a Honda beeing towed..is that like those SASQUATCHES..lol

OOPS

steven

[tomahawk]

I've owned a honda since before a lot of you were born on this site but my next purchase is going to be a Yamy 450.

[trailhunter]

check out the 550 with power steering that came out this year..........i wont own a quad without it now ;) .

[GabeWalker]

It aint very uncommon to be busting axels on any quads, I personally know of people riding kawis, Artic cats, yamahas and hondas all busting axels. Polaris's dont bust axels cuz they dont have CV's and they will break the 8,000(exageration) u joints before the axels go(new models might have CV's, Im not sure). Fisher dude check out Highlifter.com and you'll see its quite common. When I bust my CV's ill be buying some gorrilla's only way to go IMO. If ya ever get stuck in the snow or mud in 4 wheel drive def dont rock the quad back and forth and side to side with the throttle on much, sure you'll get out but thats the quickest way to bust a axel. Ive seen every brand of quad being towed, most machines are fairly well built now a days, the worst I belive are the Artic cats and would stay away from them. Sorry to here about your Friends accident

[000buck]

hmmm never seen a Honda beeing towed..is that like those SASQUATCHES..lol

OOPS

steven

they just leave them in the woods

Because honda owners feel stupid when they find out the honda product is no better or possibly worse than other brands ......just more expensive.

My x father in law was nearly killed on his honda by a brake that broke and jammed the wheel at high speed.

[srupp]

hmmm two points..

1) breaking axels is VERY UNCOMMON regardless of what is printed here..
IF you do break a axel...your riding style needs to be examined..seriously..

2)they ARE machines and anything can happen to "equipment" depending on how its used how its serviced etc etc etc..Ive seen 6 month old units of all makes that are trashed..and 14 year old machines that STILL are on the original tires soooooo..

and even well mantained machines CAN have a failure..it happens

HOWEVER there are waaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy MORE Honda machines on the trailes than most other brands..only because they have been around so long..and very few serious failures..do they fail...??? yes

however because ONE failed its pretty unfair to make such a broad sweeping statement like leave em in the woods over priced junk kinda stuff..

16 years..never once stranded...even after rolling one it still got me home (with some encouragement)..

ride safetly ride responsibly and wear your helmet..ESPECIALLY if your breaking axels constantly sheeeesh :redface:

Steven

[OOBuck]

Haha don't even get me started on my broken down Polaris stories

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k187/schmauskris/n584109459_406435_7668.jpg

You don't have to take the tires off to put air in them:mrgreen:

[OOBuck]

check out the 550 with power steering that came out this year..........i wont own a quad without it now ;) .

Until it breaks and you have to pay to fix it!!! LOL:razz:

[srupp]

hmmmm just in from bear hunting..Tim ROLLED his quad..at 1/10th km hr in reverse..lol BOTH are ok..lol

Steven

[trailhunter]

damn double post

[trailhunter]

Until it breaks and you have to pay to fix it!!! LOL:razz:


pffffffffft i guess you still run arm strong in your truck because of the fear of a power steering pump going.

Thousands of people have the new grizzly 700 with power steering and ive yet to read a SINGLE complaint. If i havent broke it yet im sure it wont. Its only power assist, if it does fail your steering wont lock up it will just revert back to regular steering.

Mark my words EVERY big bore ATV with have some form of power steering in the near future.............its that good.